Oh, the days of riding on a school bus. The noise and chaos probably drove many of my drivers nuts when I was young. Rather than threaten detention on students one Arizona school system took a unique approach. They put Wi-Fi in one of their buses.

According to the New York Times, the installation of a Wi-Fi router in bus No. 92 has turned it into a rolling study hall. A number of students quietly type on their laptops while making their way to school on the hour long route. Vail District came up with the idea of the Internet bus after officials took advantage of a wireless mobile card during two-hour commutes to Phoenix. When the district’s CIO saw an ad for a mobile router in an electronics catalog that sealed the deal. The school district hopes to install Wi-Fi routers on 20 high school buses as reported by NBC 4 News in the above video.

The students can thank Autonet Mobile, the manufacturer of the router, for their Internet-connected ride. Autonet Mobile is the first wireless Internet service provider for vehicles which sells the router featured on the bus for $200 and the Internet connection for $60 a month. Other schools and districts reported to have purchased equipment include those from Florida, Missouri, and Washington, D.C.

Besides school buses, Autonet Mobile also provides mobile Internet solutions for cars. In December, we reported that Chevy would offer dealer-installed equipment and a service from the mobile Internet provider in some SUV, van and truck models.